Water-wheel



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. M. SWAIN, OF LOIVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATER-WHEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,314, dated May 15, 1860; Reissued November 19, 1872, No. 5,154.

To all whom 'it 'may cof/wem:

Be it known that I, A. M. SwAIN, of Lowell, in the county of' Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved lVater-IVheel; and vI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my invention, taken in the line 5c, ai, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 1s a detached view of the wheel. Fig. 3 1s a horizontal section of ditto, taken in the line y, y, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a simple and efficient horizontal watenwheel one that will have all its parts accessible for repairs, and which will give the maximum power of varying heads with an economical use of the water.

A represents a cast-iron case which incloses the wheel and the parts pertaining thereto. This case is of scroll-form, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and it is supported by standards a, and a curb B, which are cast with a bell-shaped base C, as shown clearly in Fig. l. In the top of the bell-shaped base C, there is placed an iron block D, which forms a step to receive a wooden block E, that is fitted in the lower end of the hub F, of the wheel G. Transversely through the hub F, and block E, a bar Zn, passes, said bar having screws c, bearing on it, one near each end. These screws C, pass up through the center or hub of the wheel, and, by adjusting them, the wheel may be raised or lowered, as desired, with the greatest facility, withoutre moving the wheel from its proper working position, and without being troubled with the infiuence or action of water. The wheel G, has its floats cl, cast or constructed each of a single piece of metal. The face sides of the floats d, where the water impinges, are of paraboloidal form, whose axes are tangent to a circle to which the guides e, hereinafter described, are alsoV tangente, and also to the curve at or near the outer circumferw ence of the wheel. The bottoms of the floats are formed by revolving the curves on their axes.

Into the top of the case A, a curb H, is fitted.` To the bottom of this curb there is attached an annular chamber I, which may be termed a hydrostatic chamber. The bottom of this chamber is slotted to receive the guides e, previously mentioned. These guides are plates attached to or cast with a ring or cylinder J. Three of the guides e, are enlarged to allow rods f, to pass through, and the upper parts of said rods have screws g, formed on them, said screws passing through a 'flanch 71, at the inner side and bottom of curb H. Each screw g, has a nut L, on it, said nuts being pinions into which aspur-wheel I', gears, the wheel I', being concentric with the shaft K, of the wheel, and having a pinion ai', gearing into it, the pinion being on a shaft 6*, which is surmounted by a` hand-wheel.

The chamber I, is made tight, with the exception of the slots for the reception of the guides e, previously described, the water entering' and forming a` complete stufling box, by means of which I obtain adjustable tapering chutes, formed by the bottom of chamberv Liguides e, and the top of cylinder J.

The ring or cylinder J, encompasses the top of the lower curb B,the lower part of the cylinder being provided with packing z', which is secured to the bottom of the cylinder by a ring From the above description it will be seen that by turning the shaft the wheel G, and pinions 71,, will be turned simultaneously, and the guides e, raised or lowered, as desired. These guides e, in connection with the lower and upper surfaces of I, J, as previously stated, form chutes which direct the water properly to the buckets, and by raising and lowering them the volume of water admitted to the wheel may be increased or diminished at will and the capacity of the wheel regulated as occasion may require. These adJustable chutes also form agate by which the water may be entirely cut off fromrthe wheel.

The floats (Z, may occupy one third the radius of the wheel and have a depth of three-sixths of the samethe width of space occupied by the guides e, may be the same as the floats. The sum of the shortest dis tance between the guides may be nine-iifths the diameter of the wheel. This together with thenumber of guides determines the narrowest section of' each guide,` and also the angle at which the water strikes the float, and also determines in a measure the paraboloidal curves of the floats. Y

The inner and lower edge of the chamber I, and upper edge of the ring or cylinder J, are turned true, so that when J, is drawn up it will make a complet-e water-tight joint and keep all water from the wheel. When J, is lowered the water strikes the oats with all the force and velocity due to its head, directly under the rim of the wheel,

vwhich is so curved as to force the water down rapidly on the lower curved parts 0r bottoms of the floats, the water not leaving the wheel until its force has been properly expended on it. The water is discharged down between the curb and wheel and lower curb H, and is turned outward bv the base C.

The particular angle which the guides e, have in relation to each other is the same as that which the bottom of the chamber I, and the top of the cylinder J, bear to each other, to wit: about 13-O and not more than 15. Vhatever the size of the wheel may be no less than 24 guides, and not more than 27 are used. The number of loats used will depend on the size of the wheel, but never less than 23, and not more than 4 inches apart for a Wheel of any diameter.

The advantages possessed by this wheel over others of a similar class are First, the wheel has not that great Weight of water bearing upon it to wear the step away; second, the wheel may be readily` raised without removing it from its proper working position; third, all parts are very accessible for repairs, and removable at pleasure; fourth, it is lighter than the majority of wheels, and may be started with less waterand run up to speed with far less water Vthan'is required by scroll-wheels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The annular chamber "I, arranged substantially as shown, and provided with slots to receive the guides e, when theV latter are attached to the cylinder J, for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of the guides e, and cylinder J, attached to curb B, and chamber I, forming the gate, when said parts are A. M. SVVAlN.

Witnesses:

S. C. PRATT, T. PEARsoN, JOHN NEsMrrH. 

